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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/27944510">Fall magic, huh?</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/P0tatonoah/pseuds/P0tatonoah'>P0tatonoah</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>All For The Game - Nora Sakavic</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Andrew overreacting because he's still healing, Angst, Break Up, Fluff, M/M, almost, don't hate me, happy-ish ending, some bits of it at least</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-12-07</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-12-07</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-20 22:43:01</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>870</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/27944510</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/P0tatonoah/pseuds/P0tatonoah</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Andrew couldn’t go back to the house. He wasn’t ready to face the cloud of hurt and disappointment that hung over Neil, so he went for a walk instead...</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Neil Josten/Andrew Minyard</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>6</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>134</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Fall magic, huh?</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>It's cold and raining and I had angsty feelings, sorry.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Andrew couldn’t go back to the house. He wasn’t ready to face the cloud of hurt and disappointment that hung over Neil, so he went for a walk instead. It was starting to get cold, the trees almost bare, but he didn’t mind. The biting chill helped him stay in the moment, so did the leaves crunching underneath his feet. Andrew tried to focus on the people walking their dogs and the few kids running along the path. One of the kids wore a fox hoodie, it was orange with fox ears. He stopped at that, the child smiled brightly over their churro, cinnamon and dulce de leche all over their face. Andrew tried to smile back, but he could feel a tear already rolling down his face. </p><p> </p><p>He and Neil talked about kids a few times in the past. Once when Aaron and Katelyn had gotten pregnant and again when Dan and Matt had had baby Alex. They were terrified at the thought. They, parents? With all the role models they had, their child wouldn’t stand a chance. But as they grew older, with every step they took away from the trauma-filled kids they used to be, the idea of having a family, a bigger family, with Neil didn’t seem scary at all. Of course that didn’t matter anymore. Neil was leaving. And it was all his fault. </p><p> </p><p>Andrew dried his face with the sleeve of his coat and turned away, focusing his stare at the small pond at the center of the park. There were no birds there, probably off to somewhere warmer. Instead, he could see an assortment of cigarette butts, coffee cups and a Doritos bag lying at the margins. <em> Fucking fall magic, huh? </em> He lifted his gaze toward the gray sky, letting the cold wind sweep at his face and took a deep, shaky breath. His words to Neil played like a sick tune in his mind.</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> “If you don’t wanna be here, then leave, Nath-” </em>
</p><p> </p><p>It was quiet, the fight. No raised voices, no smashing of cabinet doors, just cold words spilling out of <strike>their</strike> his mouth like venom. All Neil said was he wanted more, wanted to move somewhere else, travel more, have an adventure. “You were almost killed, countless times, the Japanese mob owns your ass, you are a fucking Exy star. What adventure could you possibly want?” Andrew wasn’t mad, he couldn’t be mad at something so stupid. If Neil wanted to move to Alaska to watch the march of the fucking penguins, Andrew would follow. But, for some reason, he felt defensive. Like the whole reason why Neil wanted to do those things was because Andrew wasn’t enough. So he lashed out.</p><p> </p><p>Why wasn’t he ever enough?</p><p> </p><p>He'd always felt inadequate. People said he wasn’t friendly enough, interested enough, patient enough, <em> human </em> enough. Andrew was everyone’s monster, someone you go to when you need a person out of your life, not someone you wanna share it with. That is, until Neil. Josten didn’t expect him to be anything other than he was, which is why learning that Neil wasn’t happy with how their lives were felt like a knife to Andrew’s stomach.</p><p> </p><p>Like he could feel that pain, Andrew doubled over, hands raking through his hair. Another shaky breath had the tears spilling from his eyes and <em> great, now he was full on crying… in public </em>. If past Andrew could see him now, he’d kick him into the pond. That’d be less embarrassing.</p><p> </p><p>Fortunately -or not- he didn’t have enough time to be disgusted with himself. Someone was nudging at his coat. Insistently. Andrew was ready to give his most withering stare when he saw the fox hoodie kid looking at him quizzically. Without saying a word, the child extended a grubby hand,  the half eaten churro almost to Andrew’s nose.  </p><p> </p><p>He started saying no, not in the mood for spit filled sweets, but the kid just stabbed the churro at him, not acknowledging his refusal. Andrew grabbed the thing by the napkin and watched as the kid’s shy smile widened and they said “Don’t cry… I watched your game last week. It was amazing!” And ran toward their mom. </p><p> </p><p>Fuck that brought back memories. All the times Josten had told him those same words, all the times he could have left, but didn’t. Andrew was a fucking moron to let his insecurities get in the way of his relationship with Neil. Maybe he wasn’t enough, but maybe he didn’t have to be. </p><p> </p><p>Andrew ran back home like his life depended on it -because it did- and opened the door with a bang. Neil, who had been sitting on the couch staring at his phone, jumped. Andrew crossed the distance to him, breath catching in his chest.</p><p> </p><p>“I'm an idiot”</p><p> </p><p>Neil got up off the couch and looked at him, lips pursed, like he agreed with the statement. Andrew took the redhead in his arms and squeezed him so tight he could hear Josten’s back pop. </p><p> </p><p>“Stay with me, yes or no?” He hid his face on Neil’s neck and breathed in his scent. Andrew didn’t know how he’d fix things, but he sure as fuck would try.</p><p>“Always, Drew."</p><p> </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Hei, hi</p><p>This wasn't beta'd, so if there's something weird, pretend you didn't see it :)</p><p>Comments and kudos are appreciated &lt;3</p></blockquote></div></div>
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